2 Samuel 16

1 And when David was passed a little beyond the top [of the mount], behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth came toward him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred [cakes] of dried figs, and a bottle of wine.

2 And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou with these? And Ziba said, The asses are for the king's household to ride on; and the bread and the dried figs for the young men to eat; and the wine to drink for such as may be faint in the wilderness.

3 And the king said, And where is thy master's son? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he remaineth at Jerusalem; for he said, Today will the house of Israel restore unto me the kingdom of my father.

4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine shall be all that pertaineth unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, I prostrate myself; let me but find grace in thy eyes, my Lord, O king.

5 And when King David came as far as Bachurim, behold, there came out thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shim'i, the son of Gera, coming forth, and cursing.

6 And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right and on his left.

7 And thus said Shim'i as he cursed, Away, away, thou man of blood, and thou worthless man!

8 The Lord hath brought back upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou didst reign; and the Lord hath placed the kingdom into the hand of Abshalom thy son; and, behold, thou art now in thy misfortune, because a man of blood art thou.

9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruyah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my Lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and remove his head.

10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruyah? so let him curse; because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?

11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who hath come forth out of my own body, seeketh my life: how much more now this Benjamite? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath said it to him.

12 Perhaps the Lord will look on my affliction, and the Lord will requite me good instead of his cursing this day.

13 And David and his men went [thus] on the way. And Shim'i went on the side of the mount opposite to him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones toward him, and cast dust.

14 And the king, and all the people that were with him, arrived weary, and refreshed themselves there.

15 And Abshalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Achithophel [also] with him.

16 And it came to pass, when Chushai the Arkite, David's friend, was come unto Abshalom, that Chushai said unto Abshalom, Long live the king! Long live the king!

17 And Abshalom said to Chushai, Is this thy kindness for thy friend? why art thou not gone with thy friend?

18 And Chushai said unto Abshalom, No; but whom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him will I remain.

19 And secondly, who is it whom I shall serve? is it not in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence.

20 Then said Abshalom to Achithophel, Hold counsel among yourselves as to what we shall do.

21 And Achithophel said unto Abshalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, whom he hath left to guard the house; and all Israel will hear that thou art in bad odor with thy father: and then will the hands of all that are with thee become strong.

22 So they spread for Abshalom a tent upon the roof; and Abshalom went in unto his father's concubines before the eyes of all Israel.

23 And the counsel of Achithophel, which he counseled in those days, was as if a man had asked advice of the word of God: so was all the counsel of Achithophel both with David and with Abshalom.